If you have 25 or more employees, you now must provide new employees with a written notice about the rights of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking to take protected time off for medical treatment or legal proceedings. The notice also contains information on victims’ rights to accommodation and protections against discrimination.

This new notice requirement went into effect July 1 as a result of legislation passed last year (AB 2337). The Labor Commissioner developed this notice/form, which is available in both English and Spanish.

Employers must provide this information to:

New workers when hired; and

Current workers upon request.

California Protections

Under California law, all employers must provide victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking with the right to take time off from work to appear in legal proceedings, such as obtaining a restraining order or other court order.

All employers must provide reasonable accommodations for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking who request an accommodation for their safety while working.

Companies with 25 or more workers also must provide these victims with the right to take time off to seek medical treatment for injuries, services from domestic violence shelters, programs or crisis centers, psychological counseling or safety planning.

Last month, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) released its most recent study that revealed the economic impact the oil and gas industry has on the state. The LAEDC conducted this analysis using 2015 data from the oil and gas industry as a whole. The bottom line is that the oil and gas industry makes a significant contribution to California’s economy.

Even more interesting are the characteristics of the workforce that the oil and gas industry employs which is in some aspect reflective of the demographics of our state. Some of the highlighted trends include:

Almost three-quarters of the industry’s workforce is in its prime working age (between 22 and 54 years old).

Educational attainment is across the spectrum; 23 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, 30 percent have some college, post-secondary certification or an associate’s degree, and just under 40 percent of all workers have high school credentials or less.

The LAEDC’s study also brought to light the industry’s impact on regional economies throughout California, including valuable tax revenues by county. In Ventura County, the analysis calculated a total of $306.6 million in state and local taxes and a sum of $216.7 million in federal tax revenues. This is revenue that can be used by local government to provide critical services to residents of the county. Total jobs for our area in the oil and gas industry were nearly 6,000 which included direct, indirect, and induced employment. Examples of some of these jobs the industry provides include engineers, information technology specialists, electronics technicians, and geologists.

Allan Zaremberg, California Chamber of Commerce president and CEO stated, “California’s oil and gas industry has been an engine of California’s growth for more than 100 years. The industry sustains tens of thousands of well-paid middle class jobs, provides hundreds of millions of tax dollars for the support of state and local government, and provides the energy and much of the innovation that powers our economy.”

The Address is taking a fresh approach to selling real estate, moving away from virtual and bringing back the brick and mortar model, so agents and home buyers can connect one-on-one. Launched by Troy Palmquist, who has more than a decade of residential real estate experience, The Address is putting humanized customer service back into the home buying process. The Address’ mission is to help people find their perfect fit when it comes to a home. They know that buying a house is much more to a person or family than owning property – it’s where memories, dreams and precious moments of life are created. By breaking away from the online process, The Address is creating long-lasting relationships, where conversation and engagement rule.

Based in California, Troy Palmquist created The Address with the true Californian state of mind – laid back, friendly and all about a community atmosphere. He wants his clients to feel at home when discussing the process of home buying, as well as create a hub for anyone to gather. His office offers a relaxed feel that gives clientele the feeling of familiarity and trust. The office is equipped with a nitro coffee and Kombucha bar inside, and is open to anyone in the neighborhood. The Address wants to be a reflection of a community hub. The space is open to the community, not just clientele.

Get in touch with The Address by visiting their website at www.addressrealestate.com or stop by for a handcrafted coffee or Kombucha at their new location at 3600 S. Harbor Boulevard, Suite 114.

Hollywood Beach Cafe has become a favorite amongst locals and visitors alike. They are celebrating their first anniversary in the Oxnard Hollywood Beach neighborhood. The restaurant is located just steps away from the beautiful white sandy beaches and stunning Channel Islands Harbor. This is a must go to destination!

Hollywood Beach Café has an extensive menu of everyone’s favorite breakfast and lunch selections. Some of their great choices include chicken and waffles, 9 different types of burgers on ½ lb patties, homemade chicken fried steak, a variety of healthy salads and avocado and toast to name a few.

The restaurant has a full bar and a pet friendly patio. It is nice to have an establishment that supports the community, and they are a proud supporter of the local schools. Great tastefully completely remodeled interior and exterior, excellent food and staff complete this fantastic addition to our community!

The restaurant is open every day from 7 AM. to 3 PM, and they are located at 117 Los Altos Street. Visit their website at http://www.hollywoodbeachcafe.com or call them at 805.590.2233.

The Oxnard Chamber Board of Directors voted to OPPOSE the effort to recall the mayor and three councilmembers. Following a recommendation from the Chamber’s Business Advocacy Committee, the Board cited the cost of a potential election as well as the proximity of a special election to the June Primary and November Gubernatorial elections set for 2018.

Aaron Starr, an unsuccessful candidate for city council in 2014 and 2016, is spearheading the recall effort based on how the council members voted on adjustments to wastewater rates. Mayor Flynn, Mayor Pro Tem Ramirez, Councilmember Perello, and Councilmember Madrigal all voted in favor of rate increases. Councilman MacDonald voted no, so he is not a target of the recall.

The Chamber Board received information that a special election would cost more than $200,000, as estimated by the County Clerk’s office. That number does not include the cost of verifying petition signatures, nor does it include the cost of the Oxnard City Attorney’s office and the Oxnard City Clerk’s office.

If the recall proponent is successful in gathering sufficient valid signatures (roughly 12,000) to trigger a special election, the city may be forced to hold one in the spring of 2018 – just a few months before the June Primary.

If there is a special election, the ballot will contain a question whether the sitting council member should be recalled. That would be followed by a list of candidates running to potentially replace the city council person and convolute the ballot further.

If there is a successful recall, the person elected to replace the ousted council member would likely have to run for a full term in the November 2018 election. Mayor Flynn, Mayor Pro Tem Ramirez and Councilmember Perello all have terms expiring in December 2018. Councilmember Madrigal’s term is not up until 2020.

The Chamber believes this to too much disruption of local government when Oxnard voters could simply express their support or opposition of current council members in the November 2018 election.

In addition to the timeline for a potential special election, the Chamber has great concern over the premise that elected officials could be recalled based on his or her vote on a single issue. It is the Chamber’s position that the recall stipulation in the elections code was included to address malfeasance and gross negligence.

The Chamber encourages Oxnard voters NOT to sign the recall petitions being circulated and support the city while it continues to move forward in a positive direction.